Windows 8 UEFI Install


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Ok, so, I recently bought an iBuypower gaming laptop which is basically a rebranded MSI GT60. I have been extremely satisfied with it so far. My only complaint has been that the Bigfoot LAN option ROM is enabled, and I cannot disable it. If I select to disable the ROM, it enables itself again on the next boot. After playing around with the BIOS I noticed it is booting in legacy mode. Upon setting it to UEFI mode, I no longer get the option rom message. Then, like expected the machine does not boot as the disk is not formatted to GPT and Windows 8 is not set up for UEFI boot.

 

My question is; if I were to use the windows 7 system image tool to backup the install, then wipe the disk and convert to GPT, would the same system image work after a UEFI install?

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No because you need Windows setup / Windows PE to create and setup a bootable GPT SYSTEM partition and install the Windows Boot Loader into the EFI.

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What you want to do is back up you documents/pics/movies and such using file history. Programs will need to be reinstalled. Do a full format and reinstall with the custom option during the wizard. Make sure when you booted the installer disk that its booting to uefi. You will noticed the font for the press any key to boot is going to be different than if it was still in legacy mode. The best part about changing the system over to this will be significantly faster boot times.

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After checking, I have a reinstall DVD without UEFI support. I don't have a spare USB stick that I could use to reinstall either.

 

EDIT: I spoke too soon. The DVD has an efi boot image on it, and should work. I just can't get it to be detected at boot.

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How did you manage to not find one with uefi? By default all the dvds have uefi. Are you sure? look at the directory structure of the dvd and if you see a efi folder then it does efi. To boot to this you might have to manually select it as a boot device.

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Well, for whatever reason, I cannot get the boot device selection screen to appear. I'm going to try this again on the ibuypower forums.

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I'm going to go out on a limb and say UEFI DVD support is broken in bios. I just created a Windows 8 UEFI USB reinstall drive and it is detected just fine. I don't have too many files to back up as this machine is quite new. I'll just do that by hand before I reinstall.

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  • 2 weeks later...

it isn't broken. there's two types of windows installs now. uefi(gpt) and non-uefi(mbr)

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it isn't broken. there's two types of windows installs now. uefi and non-uefi(gpt)

Um I thought UEFI installs use GPT and "normal" installs used MBR.

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Um I thought UEFI installs use GPT and "normal" installs used MBR.

you're correct. my typo

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Aha yeah, I was like o.O. I'm building a new pc, just need a CPU now and I am going to install In UEFI mode and was like wait what did I miss something aha.

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